Garment hanger



Oct. 14, 1952 SPRAGUE 2,613,858

GARMENT HANGER Filed July 25, 1948 Fig.7.

JNVENTOR.

Robert Msprugue.

BY W 7J5, Wm

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 14, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARMENT HANGER Robert M. Sprague, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application July 23, 1948, Serial No. 40,311 Y 14 Claims. (01. 22394) My invention relates generally to garment hangers, and it has reference in particular to collapsible garment hangers of the type such as may be worn in place in a garment.

Generally stated, it is an object of my invention to provide a garment hanger which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and is easy to install and use.

More specifically, it is an object of my invention to provide a collapsible hanger for a garment, having separable arms detachably secured within the garment, and which may be readily connected to provide a substantially rigid hanger.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a hanger for using telescopic arms which are hooked together vertically to provide a rigid integrated structure.

It is one object of my invention to provide .in a collapsible garment hanger for supporting a hook support integral with one of the arms, and for connecting the other arm to said arm when it is desired to use the hanger.

An important object of'my invention is to pro- :vide in a garment hanger for securing one por- .the mounting therefor for effecting connection with the other arm.

A yet further object of my invention is to provide for making a collapsible hanger having extensible arms which make a substantially rigid hooked connection with eachother.

I also propose to provide for detachably securing a two-piece hanger in a garment by means of snap fasteners or the like so that the garment may be worn with the hanger positioned therein,

and. yet the hanger may be removed for cleaning purposes or the like.

Another important object of my invention is to provide an inexpensive collapsible garment hanger which may be worn inconspicuously in place in a garment, and yet readily detached from .the garment.

Other objects will, in part be disclosed hereinafter, and will in part be obvious.

In practising my invention. in one of its forms,

a hanger has separate arms comprising tubular .members detachably secured .to the lining of a coat or the like at the shoulders by means'of snap fasteners and extensible rods telescopically posi-,

- 2 tioned in the tubular members and having hooked end portions projecting towards each other. A connector rigidly supported on one hooked end portion has a socket for receiving the other hooked end portion to connect the rods when the hanger is in operating position. A support hook is pivotally mounted on the connector, and folds back along the rod on which the connector is supported, and when not in use.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of my invention, reference may be made to the following detailed description, which may be read in connection with the accompanying drawing in which;

Fig. 1 is a partial front view of a coat or other garment, broken out in part, to show one application of a hanger embodying the features of myinvention, in the collapsed or wearing position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, partially sectioned, view of a hanger embodying my invention, shown in the collapsed position in which the arms are separated, as the hanger is disposed when the coat is worn and the hanger is not in use;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevational view broken away and partly in section, of the hanger shown in Fig. 2, with the rods extended and connected in operating relation as when the hanger is used to support the coat;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view of a coat with a hanger embodying'the invention, shown with the arms extended and connected in operating relation.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged partial view of a hanger embodying the invention in another of its forms;

and

' Fig. '7 is a partial front view in perspective of a arment such as the coat I4. As shown in I Fig. l the arms 12 and I3 may be separated, and

retracted when the hangeris not in use, such as when the coat is worn.

As shown in Fig. 3 it may be seen that the arms I2 and I3 of the hanger I0 may comprise 'body members l5 and I6, provided with extensible rods l1 and I8, normally positioned within the body members. The rods I! and I8 may be withdrawn from the arms 12 and I3, and secured toon the remote ends of the body members after 1 the rods are inserted therein, for retaining them therein and protecting the garment from the otherwise sharp ends of the body members. Detachable securing means such as snap fasteners 29 may be mounted adjacent the'ends'of'the body members l5 and 16 for detachably securing the hanger to the coat or other garment. Them'ale portions 23a of the fasteners may, for example, be soldered, welded, or otherwise secured to tabs 1'38, which may be mounted on the body members so that the male portions of the fasteners'are position'ed below the upper edges of the body members. tions of the fasteners may be sewed'or otherwise secured to the-lining of the coat.

The female or complementary por- The rods l I and I8 maycomprise, for example, similar lengths of relatively stifi spring steel,

stainless steel, or other similar wire, or the like.

They may have straight body portions i2 posi- "tioned within thebody members of the arms l2 and I3, and having angularly related portions projecting therefrom. ,Downwardly project- ,l i hooked end portions 3? maybe positioned at I f idjacent'.ends of the'ang'ularly related portions. 'The body portions 42 may be provided with en- ,larged end portions it, comprising, for example sleeves or short lengths of tubing soldered or 'jfotherwise'secured to the rods, and which engage andinterfere with caps 24and 2T tolimitlongi- "tudinal movement of the rods.

In order to provide'for connectin ithe rods ll bland 18 to form a substantially" rigid structure,. the connector I'ilm'ay be rigidly mounted'on one bf the hooked end portions, for example, the

hooked "end portion'd'ljjof the rod l8. The'connector l9 as shown i'n'Figs. 2, 3 and 4, may oomprise'a substantially U-shaped plate or body having the hooked end portion 4'? of the-rod It "secured therein at the bottom thereof by solder- .fing, welding, brazing, or the like. support means such as the rivet 5!], may pass ,through the sides of the connector I9, to provide Talsiocket oropening between the rivet and the hooked end portion 47 of the rod 18, for loosely receiving the hooked end portions? of therod li, whereby the arms 12 and 13 may be connected.

By having both the end portion 4! of the rod IL and-theadjacent portion of the angularly relatedportion45thereof, recessed between the upstand- Transverse ing sides of the connector plate 19, a substantially rigid lateral connection between the arms may b obtained.

The'hook support fio may be pivotally secured the connector l9 by the rivet 50. As shown, the support 29 maybe foldable, comprising for example, hinged portions'zliw and 2% connected eye pin 200. An ear 5| may be provided on the fportion b to interfere with the portion 200. and prevent the hook from opening beyond-the desired amount. 'Sna'p fasteners 52 and 53 may e secured, to the angularly related end portion l5'ofthe rod'll; andto the connector 'I 9 to secure them in the garment It when the hanger is not in use.

Referring to Figure 6 of the drawing, it will be seen that in another embodiment of the invention rods I? and 18' may be provided with angularly related end portions 45' which are bent downwards, instead of upwards as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The angularly related portions 45 may be provided with hooked end portions 4'! at adjacent ends, which may be bent upwardly. A connector l9 may be rigidly secured to one hooked end portion, for example, the portion 41' of the rod H, and a support hook 20" which may be of one piece, instead of folding as in Figs.'2 and 3, may be mounted on the connector 19' by means of a rivet 53'. The rivet may be so located that it provides an opening for receiving loosely the hooked end portion 41' of the rod l8. The hooked end portion Q's" of the red It may be provided with a reentrant bent end portion d9 at the upper end disposed toengage the'rivet 5t and prevent the hooked end portion l'l' of thero'd It from sliding downwardly out of the opening in the connector l9 when the hanger is being used.

Referring to Figure 7 of the drawing, it will 'be *seen that the body members of the arms 12 and It may be positioned in the shoulder portion of the coat I4 by other means than the snap fasteners shown in Figs. 2 and 3. For example, a body member I5 of the type described in detail in connection with Figs. 2 and 3, may be =posi tioned in a longitudinal pocket 55 in a strip of material 55, formed by running a seam down the strip adjacent a longitudinal fold therein. The

strip of material may then be secured to the lining of the garment by sewing it in place, using snap fasteners as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, or other known fastening means such as zippers, or the like. Instead of securing snap fasteners'on the exposed or outer surface of the lining of the coat, the snap fasteners may, with any of the hanger constructions, be secured to the inner side of the lining, between the lining and the coat, and a slotor buttonhole may be cut in the lining to permit the insertion of the arms-between the lining and the coat, whereupon they maybe secured to the lining by snapping the fasteners in the usual manner.

From the above description and the accom-' panying drawing it will be realized that I have provided a hanger which is both simple'to' operate and manufacture. and is reliable and effective in use. A hanger embodying the features of my invention lends itself'readily to mass production methods, and may be made either from tubular and rod members, or pressed or stamped out from sheet metal, as desired.

When the hanger is assembled, the end caps "limit longitudinal movement of the rods, and retains them within the body'membe'rs, so that they cannot become detached and lost. The hanger may be readily put into use from the collapsed condition, and provides a light, compact and yet rigid structure. Connectionand disconnection of the extensible arms is easily made, and the hanger when retracted is so coinpact that it may be readily worn within even the lightest of summer garments, for example, without being conspicuousor inconvenient.

Since different'embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, it is intended that all fthe matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in' the accompanying drawing shall be considered as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. A hanger comprising, a pair of arms, each of said arms comprising .a pair of telescopingly engaged members, connecting means integral with one of the members of one ofsaid arms, said connecting means providing a rigid hooked connection with one of the members of the other arm, and support means mounted on said connecting means.

2. In a hanger for a garment, a pair of extensible arm members, one of said arm members having an angularly related end portion at one end, fastening means on said arm members disposed to attach them to the garment, a connector supported by the other of the arm members having a corresponding angularly related socket at one end disposed to receive the angularly related end portion of the said one arm member, and a hook support mounted on the connector.

3. A hanger disposed to be detachably secured to a garment comprising, a pair of extensible arms having rigid hooked end portions and fastening means disposed to effect a detachable connection with the garment, and a connector secured to the hooked end portion of one arm, said connector having a socket to receive the hooked end portion of the other arm.

4. A hanger comprising, a pair of extensible arms, a connector integral with one of said arms having an angularly related socket, an angularly related end portion on the other of said arms disposed to effect a hooked connection in the socket with said one arm, and a hook support mounted on the connector.

5. A hanger comprising, a pair of arms, means on each of said arms for detachably securing them to a garment, a connector secured to one arm and having a socket to receive a portion of the other arm, and a hook support pivotally connected to the connector.

6. A hanger disposed to be worn in a garment comprising, a pair of arms having angularly related end portions and fastening means disposed to detachably secure the arms within the garment, a connector for said arms mounted on the angularly related end portion of one of said arms and having an angularly related socket disposed to receive the angularly related end portion of the other arm, and a support hook secured to the connector.

7. A hanger comprising, a pair of arms having substantially vertical angularly related end portions and means on the arms to secure them in a garment, a connector mounted on the end portion of one of the arms having a substantially vertical socket to receive the end portion of. the other arm, and a hook pivotally supported on the arm having the connector thereon.

8. In a hanger, a pair of arms comprising telescopic members, a connector secured'to one member of one of said arms having a socket to receive a portion of one of the members of the other arm, and a hook pivotally mounted on the connector.

9. A hanger comprising, a pair of tubular members having fastening means for detachably securing them in a garment, rod members telescopically positioned in the tubular members and having hooked end portions on adjacent ends,

a connector secured rigidly to one of the hooked end portions and having a socket to receive the other hooked end portion, and a hook support pivotally mounted on the connector. I

10. In a hanger, a pair of tubular arms, a rod telescopically mounted in each of the arms, said rods having downwardly extending hooked end portions projecting from adjacent ends of the arms, a connector comprising a substantially U- shaped member having the hooked end portion of one rod rigidly secured therein, a hook, and

transverse support means pivotally supporting the hook on theconnector, said support means being disposed to provide asocket in the connector for the hooked end portion of the other rod.

prising, a pair of tubular body members provided with detachable securing means disposed to secure them in spaced relation in the shoulder portion of the garment, longitudinally extensible rod members telescopically positioned within said body members and provided with angularly related endportions on adjacent ends, a connector plate secured rigidly to the endportion of one of the rod members and disposed to receive the end portion of the other rod member, and a hook mounted on the connector plate to support the hanger. I I

12. In a hanger for a garment, a pair of arms comprising tubular body portions having extensible rod members telescopingly mounted therein, a connector secured toone rod member disposed to effect a hooked connection with the other rod member, a hook supported on the connector,and detachable securing means supported by the body members and rod members disposed to detachably secure them in predetermined relation Within the shoulder portions of the garment.

13. A garment hanger comprising, a pair of extensible arms having hookedend portions at adjacent ends, a connector-rigidly secured on one end portion and having a socket disposed to detachably receive the other end portion, and a folding hook support pivotally mounted on said connector.

14. A hanger comprising, a pair of tubular arms having snap fasteners thereon to detachably secure them in the shoulder portions of a garment, said arms having partially enclosed ends disposed adjacent each other, extensible rods mounted in the arms, said rods having hooked end portions projecting through the partially enclosed ends and enlarged end portions disposed within the arms, a connector mounted rigidly REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 932,756 Cazier Aug. 31, 1909 937,233 Gershon Oct. 19, 1909 Fallot June 14, 1938 11. A hanger for supporting a garment com- 

